In an effort to halt the "hypersexualization" of young girls, the French upper house has voted to pass a proposal that would outlaw beauty contests for girls under 16, with penalties for breaking the law ranging from fines to jail time.
The ban would put an end to events like France's Mini Miss contest, which, much like our own Toddler's and Tiaras, even has its own reality TV series. (Although, from the images on the show's website, this particular contest seems to be more guilty of the ridiculouzation, rather than sexualization, of little girls. Read More

Oh mon dieu! C’est incroyable!
Ok, so my French is a lil' rusty, but that doesn’t stop me from loving Paris, France. I even have a tattoo of the Eiffel Tower because I love that city so much.
So if you had seen my face when I found out that Paris’s upcoming mayoral race IS ALL FEMALE, you probably would’ve been floored. Yep, this year, four lovely ladies are running for mayor.
Previously in 2008, two female candidates ran for the mayoral position, but this time around, there's not a man in sight. Read More

Peeps in France were stoked to see a new postage stamp design featuring the iconic Marianne emblem, representative of liberty and reason for the country. Some (dumbasses) were shocked, however, when they learned that the sketch was inspired by none other than our favorite boob-baring Ukrainian feminist group, FEMEN. President Francois Hollande revealed the illustration of Marianne rocking a Phrygian conical cap on Sunday in honor of Bastille Day.
Olivier Ciappa is the photographer and designer behind the controversial art piece. Read More

It’s been nearly four years since Phoenix released their award-winning album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This April will bring the release of their follow-up LP, Bankrupt! from Glassnote Records. They have been posting tantalizing teasers on their website, but yesterday they finally revealed a video for their debut track “Entertainment.” Check it out below.
It’s eighties influence is definitely showing: think Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Hong Kong Garden,” with a modern Versaille twist. Read More

After spending a year and a half of my life roaming the streets of Paris, I take any opportunity to obsess over French things. I miss the food and the tangible history. Who knew I would even miss the secondhand smoke?
If you’re a fellow Francophile, history geek, or lover of vintage photography then you should pour yourself a glass of vin rouge and peruse this beautiful photo collection, 1914: Paris in Colour, on Retronaut.
The series of ten photos ranges from images of the provincial to the industrial, and captures a spectrum of Parisian life at the dawn of World War I. Read More